Vibration-damping support for a dental separator

ABSTRACT

The dental separator with an inlet, an outlet and a centrifuge has a vibration-damping support. The support is formed with line connections and each inlet and outlet of the separator is inserted into the support and communicates with a line connection of the support. The support of the invention has two parts. The first part can be mounted in stationary fashion and can be disposed removable on the second part of the separator. The two parts are joined together with vibration-damping intermediate components.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a vibration-damping support for a dentalseparator, which has at least one inlet, at least one outlet, and acentrifuge, wherein the support is provided with line connections, andeach inlet and outlet of the separator inserted into the supportcommunicates with a line connection of the support.

2. Description of the Related Art

A support of this kind can be found for instance in International PatentDisclosure WO 89/04641. The separator shown there comprises two partialunits; one part, which separates suction air from the mixture anddecants solids in the collection container, can be pulled out indrawerlike fashion from the support. The second part includes acentrifuge, whose inlet and outlet communicates via elastic pieces oftubing with the line connections of the support, and which rests on abearing plate. After the removal of the elastic pieces of tubing thecentrifuge can be removed at the top. This is relatively complicated,and it is the object of the present invention to embody a support of thetype referred to at the outset in such a way that the separator iseasier to remove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, this is attained in that the support has twoparts, wherein the first part can be mounted in stationary fashion andcan be disposed removably on the second part of the separator, and thatthe two parts are jointed together by means of vibration-dampingintermediate components. Since the vibration-damping intermediatecomponents are thus components of the support, the separator can beremoved from the second part of the support, to which it is fixed byarbitrary connecting means.

The two parts of the support are manufactured in particular from a firstplastic, for instance a polyamide or a polypropylene, and preferablyembodied essentially in the shape of a U. The vibration-dampingintermediate components are in particular of a polyamide- orpolypropylene-based thermoplastic elastomer, which can be processed ininjection molding systems together with the first plastic to make aone-piece product.

Preferred embodiments contemplate that at least one vibration-dampingintermediate component is embodied as an elastic tube section or as amovably disposed rigid tube section between an aperture, associated withan inlet or outlet of the separator, in the second part and a lineconnection in the first part of the support, so there is no need to openany tubing couplings, either.

The support and the separator in this embodiment form an extremelycompact unit that requires the least amount of space, and a furtherpreferred embodiment contemplates that the side ridges of the U-shapedinner part form a lateral guide for a separator that can be pulled outin drawerlike fashion.

If retaining tabs which can be engaged from behind for a tighteninglever closure are formed on the free ends of the U-shaped inner part ofthe support, and/or if the side ridges of the U-shaped inner part havetight-fit faces that converge in the direction of removal of theseparator and that can be engaged around the outside by correspondingelements of the separator housing, the result after the insertion of theseparator is then a tight communication between each inlet or outlet andthe line connection of the support. Optionally, the mouth of the tubesection can be equipped with an O-ring. Alternatively, it iscontemplated that a sealing ring of the elastomer of the pipe section iscoextruded on the inner portion of the support in the region of themouth of the tube section.

The options for mounting the separator are greater if at least oneelastic tube section is disposed in a corner region of the support andcommunicates with two line connections pointing in different directions.An unneeded line connection is closed off by a stopper.

The side ridges of the approximately U-shaped outer part, mounted instationary fashion, can also extend obliquely at an angle of 45°.Connection components with a 45° angle can then be inserted rotatablyinto the line connections, so that lines that extend onward can assumeall the positions between the horizontal and the vertical.

The invention will now be described in further detail below inconjunction with the figures of the accompanying drawings, but is notlimited thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an oblique view of a support, and

FIGS. 2 and 3 show side views of a separator inserted into the support,in the open and the locked position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A support 1 for a separator that includes a centrifuge has a firstU-shaped part 2 for mounting on a wall or the like, which is providedwith line connections 6 to which various lines are connected when theseparator is mounted (for mixture removed by suction, for mixtureflowing out of a spit bowl, or clean air, or purified wastewater, etc.).A second, likewise U-shaped part 3 is disposed inside the first part 2and is held on the first part 2 exclusively via vibration-dampingintermediate components 4, 5 of an elastic material. The intermediatecomponents 4, 5 in particular comprise a thermoplastic elastomer, andthe intermediate components 5 form elastic tube sections.

At least the side ridges 8 of the inner U-shaped part 3 taper toward thefree end. They are provided with ridges that can be engaged from behindand have tight-fit faces 9. Diametrically opposed retaining element 15and tight-seat faces are provided on the separator housing 11, and theseparator housing 11, slipped on into place, is locked to the inner part3 by means of a tension lever closure 17. For that purpose, a handle isslidingly guided on the separator housing 11 in a slideway 12 along thecollection container 14 for separated solids, this container beingdisposed removably below the housing 11, and is loaded by compressionsprings 13 fastened between the handle and the separator housing 11.Detent elements 16 on both sides of the handle engage tabs 10, disposedon the free ends of the ridges 8, from behind and lock the separatorhousing 11. At least some of the vibration-damping intermediatecomponents are embodied as elastic tube sections 5, which open at theinner support part 3 in one of the tight-fit faces 9 and communicate atthe outer support part 2 with the line Connections 6. Elastic tubesections 5 disposed in the corner region are bent like angle bracketsand communicate with two line connections 6, of which one is embodied inthe side ridge and the other is embodied in the center ridge of theouter support part 2. The line connections 6 are shown onlyschematically and may be embodied as plug-in sleeves or as slip-onsocket pieces. If the side ridges of the outer support part 2 extendobliquely at an angle of 45°, then a 45° angle element can be positionedagainst the outside, so that a horizontal to vertical connection becomespossible by rotating the angle piece. Excess line connections 6 can beclosed by a stopper or the like. The mouths of the elastic tube angles 5in the tight-fit face 9 are preferably surrounded by seals 7, which areeither formed by O-rings inserted into grooves or are made jointly withthe intermediate components 4, 5 of the thermoplastic elastomercomprising them. An elastic plug connection is preferably embodied onthe middle ridge of the inner support part 3, so that this connectionlike the flow paths between th tube angles 5 and the inlets or outletsof the separator are interrupted when the separator is removed from thevibration-damping inner support part 3 and are re-established when theseparator is mounted on the inner support part 3 again.

We claim:
 1. In combination with a dental separator of the type havingat least one inlet and at least one outlet, a vibration-damping supportfor the dental separator, comprising:first and second parts togetherdefining the support, said first part being stationarily mountable, andsaid second part having the dental separator removably mounted thereon;vibration-damping intermediate components connected between and joiningsaid first and second parts; the support being formed with lineconnections, and each of the at least one inlet and at least one outletof the separator communicating with a respective line connection of thesupport.
 2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein at least oneof said vibration-damping intermediate components is a tube sectionconnected between one of said line connections formed in said support,and an aperture formed in said second part provided for one of an inletand an outlet of the dental separator.
 3. The combination according toclaim 2, wherein said tube section is elastic.
 4. The combinationaccording to claim 2, wherein said tube section is movably disposed oneach of said first and second parts of the support.
 5. The combinationaccording to claims 1, wherein said first and second parts aresubstantially U-shaped, and said second part is nested inside said firstpart.
 6. The combination according to claim 5, wherein said U-shapedsecond part for mounting the dental separator is defined with lateralridges forming a lateral guide upon which the dental separator isslidable in drawer-like fashion.
 7. The combination according to claim6, wherein the dental separator has a housing, and which combinationfurther comprises retaining tabs disposed on free ends defined on saidU-shaped second part, and a clamping lever closure disposed on thehousing of said dental separator for selectively engaging said retainingtabs.
 8. The combination according to claim 6, wherein the dentalseparator has a housing, and wherein said lateral ridges of saidU-shaped second part include tight-fit faces which converge in adirection of drawer-like sliding removal of the separator housing, andthe combination further comprising elements formed on the separatorhousing for engaging said tight-fit faces.
 9. The combination accordingto claim 8, wherein at least one of said vibration-damping intermediatecomponents is a tube section connected between one of said lineconnections formed in said first part and an aperture formed in saidsecond part provided for communicating with the dental separator, andwherein said tube section opens into one of said tight-fit faces. 10.The combination according to claim 9, wherein said at least one elastictube section is disposed in a corner region of the support andcommunicates with two line connections pointing in mutually divergentdirections.
 11. The combination according to claim 1, wherein thesupport is manufactured in one piece from two plastics with mutuallydifferent properties, and said vibration-damping intermediate componentsare formed from a thermoplastic elastomer.